Panel-clamp



w. A SWARTZ. PANEL CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZ8,1919- Patented May 31, 1921.

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WILLIAM A. SWARTZ, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

PANEL-CLAMP.

Application filed May 28, 1919. Serial No. 300,288.

To whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. SWAR'rz, a citizen of the United States,residing at York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Panel-Clamps, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawin s.

This invention relates to means for attaching panels to uprights, andparticularly to means for attaching the panels to the posts or uprightsof commercial vehicle bodies, automobiles, and like structures.

Heretofore, these panels have been attached to uprights or posts ofvehicle bodies by screws extending through the panels into the posts, inwhich case theheads of the screws are either very plainly evident, thusmarring the beauty of the panel, or else are concealed by plugs afterthe screws have been put in place. In other constructions, screws areinserted in the post and in the panel and only extend into the panel arelatively short distance so that the hold on the panel is relativelysmall.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a very simplemeans for connecting the panels to the post, which shall be entirelyconcealed when the panels have been put in place, and which will firmlyhold the panels to the post without the necessity of boring holesthrough the panels, or using plugs or like devices.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure1 is a perspective view of part of myrpanel clamp;

ig. 2 is a sectional view through a panel allld supporting rail showingmy clamp in ace; p Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3of Fi .2;

Fig. 4 is an e evation of a cutter used for cutting the 'T-shaped slotin the panel;

Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional perspective views of end panel clamps;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a wagon body constructed in accordancewith my invention;

Fi 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fi and ig. 9 is a longitudinalsection on an enlar ed scale.

ne form of holding device which is to be used particularly between theends of the panels is illustrated in Fig. 2 and consists of a metallicclamp A, which may be of any desired length or width and is made ofsheet metal, this clamp. being bent to form a medially disposed,rectangular channel 10, and outwardly extending, o positely directed,marginal flanges 11. oacting with th1s clamp are a plurality of woodscrews 12, each provlded with the usual nicked head 13 at one end and atthe other being screwthreaded for engagement with a nut 14. Thls nut hasa width approximately equal to the interior width of the channel 10 sothat when the nut is in place within the channel, it cannot turn. Thepanels 15 are of wood, composition, or any other suitable materlal, andare formed with T-shaped slots 16, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the body ofthe slot extending longitudinally of the panel intermediate its innerand outer faces and being of such depth, width and thickness as toreceive the laterally projecting flanges 11. The medial portion of theslot,

which extends to the inner face of the panel, 9 a

has a width equal to the width of the channeled portion of the clamp.The post or upright 17 is formed upon its outer face with a channel orgroove 18 to receive the channel portlon of .the clamp, as indicated,and is bored for the passage of the screw 12.

In putting the clampsin place, they are lnserted within the recess ofthe post, the nut 1s placed within the channel 10, and then the screwinserted through the post and engaged with the nut. The panels may thenbe put in place with their T-shaped grooves engaging the flanges of theclamp, and then the screws may be turned so as to turn up the nutsthereon and draw the clamp into tight engagement with the post. It willbe seen that the nut is held from rotation by its engagement with theside walls of the channel 10. When the panels have been put in place,the attaching clip or clamp is entirely concealed and at the same timethe panels are held to the posts very firmly, but may be disengagedtherefrom at any time. It will be noted that the panels fit fiat againstthe post so as to have a full bearing surface therea ainst.

The clamps eretofore described are particularly adapted for engaging themiddle portions of the panels and holding them to the middle orlntermediate posts between the end posts. In Fig. 6 I show one form ofend post clamp wherein the clamp B is ti l composed of a strip of sheetmetal, angularly bent along one margin, as at 22 so as to rest againstthe front of the post 1 and against one side face thereof, the frontportion of the clamp being outwardly bent, as at 23, then laterallybent, as at 24:, parallel to the base of the clamp so as to engage withthe longitudinally extending edge slot 25 formed 1n the panel. Theportion 22 of the clamp7is nailed or otherwise attached to the post 1 InFig. 5 ll show another form of end clamp, that is a clamp t6 be usedwith end posts, which is used where the face of the panel is to bedisposed flush with the end post. In this case. the clamp G is formed ofa strip of metal and bent to provide a.

base attached by nailing or otherwise to the face of a recess in thepost 17, then outwardly bent along the end wall of the recess and thenlaterally bent, as at 26, for insertion in the oove 25 in the edge ofthe panel. lit will be seen that with the construction illustrated inFig. 5, the panel can he slipped into engagement with the flange 2t andwith the previous clamp A, and then the clamp B may be nmed or otherwiseattached to the post 17.

In Fig. l show a wagon body to illustrate how my panel clamps may beused. The end posts are designated 1? and 1'1? and the intermediate osts17. The clamps A, B, and C are app led to these end osts andintermediate posts in the manner i lustrated. The clamps extend the fullheight of the wagon body and are attached at;

proper places to the vertical posts that constitute the frame. The mainpanel D is made in one piece and extends ilrom the rear end of the bodyto the window panel 1E, this window anel being made as a se arate iece.T e letter panel ll exten s the tall length of the body from the backpost to the front post, but is spaced from the main panel l) a slightdistance to permit a filling piece of wood to be disposed over thejoint. Below the letter panel is illustrated a panel F which also runsthe full len h of the body and is separated from the ctter panel by aslight space which is afterward to be filled in with a filling piece. Ofcourse, it will be'understood that where the space is divided as it isin Fig. 7, into three panels, namely the panels D, F, and F, the clampswill be formed, in sections having the same height as the panels. Thusthe panel F is about 14! high and the 0 amps will have the same height.The letter panel E is about 8 high and the clam s will be 8" high, whilethe clamps for t e upper panel D will be about 28" in height. Oilcourse, the top rail is bolted to the uprights 17, 17, and 17". Theclamp C is used to connect the panels to the rear end rail 17* in Fig.7, while the clamp the intermediate post bein neraeea 1B is used toconnect the panel 10 to the rail 17*. By the use of these anel clamps,vehicle bodies may be bui t of detachable panels and posts so that theymay be knocked down and crated.

The device is very simple, may be cheaply made, and this method orattach-. ing the panels to the post has been found thoroughly eflectivein actual practice. The edges of. the panels may be cut by means of thetool shown in Fig. 4, wherein the shank of the tool 19 carries aplurality of relatively small circular saws 20 and a relatively largecircular saw 21 or rotary cutter, and by this device it is an easymatter to cut the lT-shaped slot in the edge of panel.

ll claim 1. The combination with an upright and panels disposedthereagainst, the panels bemg provided in one face with a IT-shaped slotand the upright with a recess, of means for holding the panel to theupright comprising a, clamp bent to form a channel adapted to'bedisposed in the recess of the upright and. having laterall disposedflanges, extendin into the T-s aped slot of t e anel, the ottom of saidchannel being ertorated, and the post being correspon ingly perforated,a nut disposed in and fitting the channel whereby the nut is held fromturning, and a screw passing through the perforation of the upright andchannel and engaging said nut.

2. lln a constructionof the character described, the combination'withend uprights and intermediate uprights, of panels detachably engagedtherewith, of means for holding the panels to the intermediate postscomprising a clamp bent to form a channel, ion 'tudinally recessed toreceive said 0 anne and the clamp havin laterally disposed flangesspaced from t e face ot the post, the panel bein provided with aT-shaped slot extending from the inside face of the panel in which saidlaterally disposed flanges are engaged, the bottom of the clamp channelbeing perforated and the post being correspon ingly perforated, a nutdisposed in and fitting the channel whereby the nut is held from turningand a screw passin through the perforations of the upright anc channeland engaging said nut, the end osts having clamps attached thereto, eachormed to provide a base, and a laterally extending flange bent over uponthe base and extending parallel thereto and spaced therefrom, the frontand rear edges of the panel being vertically slotted to receive saidflanges.

3. In a construction or the character described, the combination withend uprights and intermediate npri ts, of panels detach-= ably engagedtherewit of means for hold- Oil ltll

lllll llli ing the panels to the intermediate posts comprising a clampbent to form a channel, the intermediate post bein longitudinallyrecessed to receive said 0 annel and the clamp having laterally disposedflanges spaced from the face of the post, the panel being rovided with aT-shaped slot disposed etween the ends of the panel and extending fromthe inside face of the panel in which said laterally disposed flangesare engaged, the bottom of the clamp channel being perforated and thepost belng correspondingly perforated, a nut disposed in and fitting thechannel whereby the nut is held from turning, and a screw passin throughthe perforations of the upright an channel and engaging said nut, theend posts having clamps one of said clamps being formed to provide abase resting against the upright, and a flange resting against the sideof the upright and attached thereto, the base extending outward from thepost and then laterally, the panel bein slotted to receive the flangethus formed, t e other upright being recessed upon.its face, and a clampattached thereto comprising a base portlon, and a laterally extendingflange spaced from the base, the corresponding edge of the panel beingslotted to receive said clamp and rest flush with the outer face of thepost.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

WILLIAM A. SWARTZ.

Witnesses:

CHAS. Mnssmzsm'rn, ELLA F. Wmr.

